Note: This 100% fiction. Ashely, Rich, Nina are just made up. They are not real persons. I don't mean in ANY way to disrespect TJ!!!

Part One

 Five signals… Six… Seven…. Ashely sighed and put down the telephone. It seemed like her boyfriend, Rich, were too busy talking too her. Se walked out of the living room and out to the terrace. TJ were sitting quiet there and watch the boats in the marina. He had recently broke up with his girlfriend Nina. He looked so sad. She smiled and decided to call Nina. Maybe the two could fix something up? TJ and Nina seemed so happy together last summer. She sighed and walked into the living room and picked up the phone. 15 signals came, but no answers. Where was she? Where was Rich? She hadn't talked to Nina for a couple of weeks. The only thing Nina said was that she had left TJ for another guy. TJ hadn't talked either about it. She walked out to the terrace again.

"Are you hungry?" she said to TJ.

He woke up from his thoughts and turned around.

"No, not so much…", he said and smiled a little bit.

He seemed so sad. She just wanted to make him smile again. After all, they two had known each other since they were kids.

"You're not? Now that's a surprise!" she said and laughed a little bit. "I have some ice cream, if you want to."

"Okay, I think I can take a bit", he said and grinned.

"I thought so!" she said and smiled triumphant.

He laughed a little bit, but didn't sound so happy like he should be.

"Everything will be fixed…", Ashely said again to him.

"Ash, you don't need to cheer me up. I'm over Nina", he said and looked at her.

"Then why are you so sad?"

He sighed deeply and changed conversation.

"Now, where's the ice cream?" he said and looked at the fridge.

Ashely sighed also and felt low. If only Nina could come over and see how unhappy TJ looked like, maybe they could go together again. Last summer had been so perfect. It was then they all met. Ashely had met Rich and both liked each other. TJ had met Nina and it had clicked between them. She was so surprised when TJ said that it was over between them.

"It will be alright!" she had said to him.

He had laughed

"Didn't you know? She have a new guy!"

Surprised she had walked home. Nina and her had no secrets for each other. Why couldn't she talk about her new guy? What really surprised her was that her two other beat friends, Mandy and Vanessa, knew that she had a new boyfriend. It was like they protected her from something. She grabbed two ice cream. She gave one to TJ and one to herself. They sat and ate under silence. After a while, TJ said:

"I have to go!"

She nod. She knew that he and his brother had a group together and needed to work. She went up and followed to the door.

"Rich will be home soon", he said to cheer her up.

"I not the one who needs to be cheered up", she said and grinned.

"Bye Ash!" he said and gave him a hug.

She hugged him back and then he walked out. Just as she was about to close the door Rich came. He smiled a charming smile.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" he said and kissed her.

"Where have you been?" she said quite angry.

"Oh, just out… Um… A friend needed me!" he said and walked in. "Is there something to eat?"

Ashely closed the door.

"You said that excuse yesterday. Now, where have you been?" she said, still angry.

"Oh come on honey! Don't you trust me?"

"Trust you?! How can I do that when you're not telling me where you have been?!" she said loudly and angry.

He smiled charming again and hugged her.

"You know I love you…", he said softly.

Angry that she couldn't get an answer from him she walked out from the house. The beach was just outside her house, so she walked there to think. What had happened between them It was like their relationship were about to fall apart. Sad and angry she started to cry.

Part Two 

The clock wasn't much when she got home. She had been out all day, walking on the beach, thinking. There were something about Rich. He didn't want to say where he had been all days or he didn't want her to meet his friend. He was hiding something for her, but what was it? Slowly she started to walk home. No one was there, of course, Rich had to mad at her now. He hated when she ran out to the beach, not explaining where she had been. She laughed at it, when she saw how much like they two was. The first thing she walked to was the phone answering machine. Nina had to call her by now. She heard her own voice speaking first.

"Hi, this is Ashely, I'm not home right now, but leave a message after the pip, so I can call you back!"

Then came a bip. After that came Nina's voice.

"Hi Ash! It's Nina here!"

She kept on talking, how wonderful she had today, with her new boyfriend. Something in the background caught her ear. The voice sounded so familiar. It got up to her who it was. Who Nina's boyfriend was. Rich…
Quickly she picked up the phone and dialed TJ's number.

"Hello?" she heard a sleepy voice saying.

"You knew didn't you?" she said angry.

"Ashely? Know what?"

"Don't play stupid! That Rich and Nina were dating!"

It got quiet in the other line.

"You knew… And you didn't say anything to me…?" she said and were near tears.

"Ash… I didn't wanted to hurt you. I know how much he meant to you. You have to understand. The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt you!"

"How long has it been going on?"

"A long time… I'm sorry, I'll come over tomorrow… Okay?"

Ashely swallowed and then said:

"Okay…"

It clicked on the other line. She laid down the phone. How could Nina take her boyfriend? How could Rich lie to her? She went to the living room and sat down in the couch. A photo of her and Rich caught her eye. Mad, she went up and threw it on the wall. She went to couch and laid down. Before she knew anything she had fell to sleep. The sun shine through through window. Slowly Ashley opened her eyes. The first sing she saw was the photograph beside the wall. She started to remember everything. She sat up, still sleepy. She yawned and went to the kitchen. She toke out some food and started to eat. The food didn't taste any good, so she continued to the bathroom. Her long, brown curly hair was a mess. Her eyes were red and her clothes didn't look so good. She deiced to take a bath. The whole time she heard voice. Rich, Nina's…

"You know I love you…"

She sighed and shook her head. Never that she would be fooled so much. It was beautiful outside. Ashely closed her eyes and enjoyed being outside for a change.

"Ashely?"

She looked up and saw TJ staining on the terrace.

"Hi", she said low.

"How are you?"

"I'm okay…"

"I can't believe that I didn't told you the truth… You were just so happy with him. I just couldn't handle to see you sad…."

"It's okay. I'm not mad at you. I'm mostly mad at Rich and Nina. I understand now that… Rich… he didn't mean so much for me. I guess I felt lonely… I just wanted to feel something. "

"I've been so sad for you. I don't think I could see you get hurt…"

Ashely looked at him.

"I thought that you were so depressed because of Nina?" she said finally.

"Ha! Nina and I had fun, but I realized that it was one more person that I cared for more…"

Suddenly Ashley's heart started to race. It was like a wave ran through here. In a minute she knew how TJ really meant for her.

"I understand. It's the same for me…", she said and smiled.

Both knew how much they loved each other. He smiled also, and this time it was for real. He came closer and looked deeply into her eyes. He smiled once again and then kissed her softly.

"I love you…", he said.

"I love you too…"